


The Color of Christmas

by Carbon_Dated



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas holiday, Developing Friendships, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy Friendship, Other, christmas day, dramione - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:09:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27882782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carbon_Dated/pseuds/Carbon_Dated
Summary: Red and green. Only fitting the most opposite of houses have these as their colors: Gryffindor and Slytherin. Two colors as far apart on the color wheel as possible. Coincidentally, this also means they are considered complements. And there is one, best time of year to see these two remarkable colors, co-existing harmoniously. Christmas.A short, 5 part Dramione story for when Hermione and Draco are stuck at Hogwarts for the holidays.
Kudos: 2





	1. December 20

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters originally belong to JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing.  
> A/N: Just a short, 5 part Dramione story I was inspired to write for Christmas. I hope you enjoy :). Story also posted on fanfiction.net

**December 20**

“Ha! Look at this, boys, the mudblood’s got herself a Christmas present,” Malfoy sauntered up, flanked by his two cronies, and snatched the little green box wrapped with a red ribbon off the table in front of me, “Bet she bought it herself just to make it seem like someone’s sent her something.”

Calmly, I looked up from the page I was reading on _The Incredible Healing Properties of Gizzlefruit_ to find Malfoy with his two bodyguards standing across from me. Malfoy was tossing the package back and forth between his hands, a confident smirk played on his face. Sighing, I held up my palm and rolled my eyes, “give that back Malfoy,” knowing full well he wouldn’t.

Malfoy caught the package and held it up to his smug face, “Or perhaps you dug it out of the litter bin like the filth you are.”

“Then I don’t understand why you’d voluntarily be handling it,” I countered unfazed, not caring at all if he thought I found it in a bucket of manure. In truth, it was a present from my mum that had arrived earlier that morning. I had had no opportunity of bringing it up to the dormitories yet today, and I had resolved to wait to open it until Christmas with all my other gifts, but Malfoy would not care to hear that explanation. He’d laugh and bring up an insult about my muggle mother and throw in another jibe about my blood status. No, best just to keep a cool head and get on with it.

Malfoy’s lip curled, obviously annoyed with my lack of response, “Perhaps I need to demonstrate what should be done to rubbish like this.” He held up his wand and pointed it at the package.

“Malfoy,” I hissed, beginning to lose my composure. I raised my own wand in his direction, slowly standing from my chair. Crabbe and Goyle would be no problem, and even Malfoy posed no real threat if he wasn’t such a blabber mouth whose father wouldn’t rest until I was expelled for attacking his son. Even so, Malfoy tensed at my sudden intensity.

I hadn’t intended to brandish my wand, but now that I had, my intentions were clear: _you destroy it, I destroy you_. Crabbe and Goyle each took a step back as I positioned my wand in a more offensive stance.

Malfoy tossed my gift back onto the table. “It’s not even worth the magic,” he scoffed before retreating out of the library with his lackeys behind him.

Sighing, I waited until they were out of sight before straightening out the little box and returning to my reading. This was going to be a long Christmas holiday with those three around.


	2. December 21

**December 21**

Not many students or staff remained at Hogwarts for Christmas this year. There were only three other Gryffindors, a few Ravenclaws, about five Hufflepuffs (including a fellow 5th year), Malfoy with his two flunkies, of course, who made their presence very clear, and a couple other Slytherins. Even Umbridge had been called away for official Ministry business.

As for myself, I was planning on passing my time in the library. Since no other student seemed keen on spending their holiday studying, I was guaranteed some quiet. At least, I had thought so until Malfoy saw fit to disrupt me yesterday. It’s as if they specifically sought me out, for I could think of no other reason for them to have been in the library otherwise. No matter. A few minutes disturbance every now and then wouldn’t stop me from having a pleasant break.

I had been grabbing a few books off the shelves when they found me, that signature smirk playing on Malfoy’s face. “Back again, Mudblood?”

“Funny, I could say the same to you,” I plucked a thin tome from the stacks,  _ A Concise Guide to the Danish Watersnout _ . I was intending on bringing a few smaller books back to the common room later so I could read curled up near the fire while the two third years probably played some rounds of exploding snap. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” I turned to pass the trio.

“What,” Malfoy was pointing at my now exposed torso, “is that?” 

Glancing down, I grabbed the hem to better view the slightly fraying Christmas tree design on the front of my sweater before looking back up at Malfoy, “a Christmas sweater?”

“Well it’s awful,” Malfoy announced with nods of agreement from Crabbe and Goyle.

“That’s sort of the idea behind ugly Christmas sweaters. Though, this one’s not that bad. A little worn perhaps,” I explained while peering down at the garment again. The sweater was red featuring a green, decorated Christmas tree, candy cane striped sleeves, and green trimming. I had asked my parents to send it to me because I still wanted a chance to wear it despite not being surrounded by the usual cheer of my mum’s hot chocolate and peppermint candies. It gave me a little piece of home while staying in the castle.

“A what?”

“Ugly Christmas sweater,” I began again. “It’s a muggle thing.”

“Clearly,” Malfoy was recoiling, seemingly repulsed by my statement. “I don’t see why anyone would choose to wear such a disgusting thing.”

I rolled my eyes. Malfoy could be so dramatic over the simplest things. It was just a harmless tradition to help bring joy and celebrate the time of year, yet he had to make a fuss about this insignificant piece of clothing. “It’s for amusement, Malfoy. Not to mention it’s the only time of year to wear it, and it’s pretty comfortable.”

Malfoy was practically on top of his two companions he had shrunk back so far, “Only muggles would ruin Christmas with something that ridiculous and vile. I can’t even stand to look at it any longer.”

I snickered, hearing mutterings of “disgusting” as they scrambled away. It was their loss they couldn’t appreciate the splendor of a good Christmas sweater.


	3. December 23

**December 23**

“Goodness. Don’t you do anything other than read,” Malfoy slid into the seat across from me and snatched _On Guard: The Art of Wizarding Duels_ from my hands.

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked over at Malfoy as he glanced at the book I had been reading, “Don’t you have anything better to do than harass me? Yesterday was so pleasant.” I hadn’t seen Malfoy or his flunkies since our tiff two days ago except for meals, and it was heaven being able to read in peace without their interruptions.

“Harassing you is the only thing worthwhile about having to stay here over the holidays,” He turned a page, “If I have to be miserable, so will you.”

My gaze lingered on Malfoy. He continued skimming the book. Usually he wouldn’t hesitate to show his disgust with taunts and name calling, but today he seemed almost comfortable sitting in the chair across from me, “You don’t seem to be putting in much effort at the moment. No wand waving or insults today? Not worth it if you can’t put on a show?”

Malfoy ignored to instead comment on the book, “This actually looks mildly interesting.”

“You must be bored,” I emphasized, but I knew very well it was a fascinating book as I had read it second year to try and impress Lockhart when the Dueling Club started. I was reading it again now to help prepare for the D.A. meetings come the new semester, but Malfoy did not need to know that.

“You’re more entertaining than those two dunderheads. I can assure you,” he lifted his eyes to look at me over the top of the book, “although the bar is pretty low.”

I cocked an eyebrow, arms still crossed, and sat back in my chair, “I don’t think you’re giving your friends enough credit.”

The book made a thump on the table as Malfoy finally put it down, and he laughed, “You’ve not had to spend extended periods of time listening to them try to decipher basic instructions for potion brewing.” He leaned forward, “Those two can barely tell the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise. I give them more credit than they deserve.”

I stared at Malfoy for a moment. I was used to the obnoxious, pointed taunts he tended to aim at me, but these jabs toward his friends came out smoothly. There was no pompous smirk on his face, no malice, but that’s what confused me. These insults were much more natural than the ones he threw at me.

“That can’t be true,” I said, still staring at him. I reached to take back my book, but as my fingers grazed the binding, Malfoy placed his hand on the cover and slid it away from me. He raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair, this time cocking his feet on the table’s corner, crossed at the ankle.

He opened the book again and turned his eyes away from mine before speaking, “I think I know them better than you.”

“Where are they now?” Malfoy didn’t answer, his eyes once again glued to the text. We sat for a few moments like this in silence before I realized my eyes were still locked on him as he turned another page. Quickly, I stood from the table, picking up my bag, and left the library wondering how it was we managed a relatively amicable interaction.


	4. Christmas Eve

**Christmas Eve**

“They’re messing with their Christmas presents. I gave ‘em to them early as a distraction,” Malfoy sauntered to my table and dropped into the chair opposite mine and propped his feet onto the tabletop, “I needed some peace and quiet.” 

It was obvious by their lacking presence - and our conversation yesterday - who Malfoy was talking about. Crabbe and Goyle were absent yet again. “So you decided to find me for this peace and quiet?”

Malfoy didn’t respond. He seemed to have a habit of willfully refusing to answer my questions, although admittedly he did just answer one in lieu of a greeting, albeit a day late. Today, I was taking advantage of Umbridge’s lingering absence and continuing my research on dueling. Concentration had been difficult as I had sat expecting the Slytherins to pop in at any page turn and confirm yesterday’s meeting as being nothing more than my imagination.

Here he was, however, calmly lounged in the same position I had left him yesterday and picking at his nails. Shaking my head, I returned to my studying, hoping to finally get some work done in this “peace and quiet” he apparently came here for.

“Is that the same book from yesterday?” 

“Malfoy,” I breathed, letting out an air of annoyance as I lowered my book to peer at him. As it happened, it was the same book. Malfoy had left it behind whenever he decided to leave yesterday, and I had picked it up to continue the reading I had started. “If you want to read here with me, just say so.”

He paused his ministrations on his nails but spoke as nonchalantly as if he hadn’t, “Why on earth would I want something like that?”

I rolled my eyes, “Because you’re bored, and you seem pretty interested in this particular table and what I’m reading.”

As I saw him lightly lick his lips and return to his nails, I knew his stubborn pride was stopping him from asking, and I don’t know why, maybe it was the spirit of Christmas, but I tossed  _ On Guard: The Art of Wizarding Duels _ onto the table, “Here.”

Malfoy crossed his arms and glanced at the book, then at me.

“Merlin you’re stubborn. Just take it,” I shoved the book closer to him, “and just don’t talk so much if you’re going to join me.”

I leaned down to retrieve a few other books I had stashed in my bag. Clearly, I wasn’t going to get any more reading done in that particular tome unless Malfoy decided it wasn’t worth his time and left. I was setting down a small stack of books when he snatched the volume off the table, “Fine. As long as you promise never to wear that...thing again.”

“What thing?” Malfoy pulled up his nose and gestured to his torso at my question, “The Christmas sweater? Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”

Malfoy pointed the book at me for emphasis, “No. Overreacting was you pulling out your wand at my harmless prank.”

“You pulled your wand out first and threatened my present. I hardly call that harmless,” I scoffed.

Malfoy waved his hand as if to brush what I had said away. “It was just a bit of fun. Crabbe and Goyle liked the amusement.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you  _ did _ put it on for show? For them?” That was another question he had blatantly ignored yesterday, and it did not seem likely I was going to get a direct answer today either as he just sank back into his comfortable position opening the book to begin reading.

Maybe that was his way of confirming, perhaps he wasn’t entirely sure how to answer, or most likely he just didn’t want to give me the satisfaction, but it had to be true. He hadn’t come with the express intention of insulting or threatening me (or any of my belongings) since I had last seen him with his two goons. I didn’t think he had even called me “mudblood” since then.

I let out a huff as I reached for a new book off my stack, and he peaked at me over his own.

We spent the afternoon like that, books piled on the tabletop between us as we read. Occasionally Malfoy would pause to make comments on some passage or stretch, and a few times he even asked me what I thought on a matter. I suppose I was doing the same to him, but I hadn’t expected such a peaceful afternoon. 

I found that Malfoy was quite tolerable once he finally focused and quit griping about the company or my clothing choices this Christmas break. As if it was  _ my _ fault he chose to join me instead of sitting on a common room couch watching Crabbe and Goyle play exploding snap. We broke at dinner. Malfoy left first with just a single glance in my direction and didn’t return to the library again that night.


	5. Christmas Day

**Christmas Day**

It was already afternoon when he arrived. Granted, it was Christmas day, and he hadn’t appeared before lunch on any of the previous days, so it was pretty foolish of me to think today would be any different. Regardless, I was antsy wondering if he was going to bother to show up at all. I also sat there wondering why I bothered to care when he had been nothing but rude, sometimes cruel to me up until a few days ago, and even then, he was still being a whiny prat.

I was playing with a small package on the table and holding a book I couldn’t concentrate on long enough to read more than two sentences in a row when he took his usual seat across from me, “Another gift, Granger? Goodness.”

I let out an incredulous laugh at his choice of greeting today, “Don’t pretend you didn’t get just as many, probably more, than me. I saw that eagle owl coming several times this week.”

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow and placed his crossed arms on the table, “so you were watching my eagle owl?”

“It was hard not to, it’s so obnoxiously large,” I slid a book across the table that Malfoy had ended on yesterday to cut off the conversation. It was veering into a much too friendly territory, but Malfoy seemed comfortable in continuing the cordiality.

“What’s that you’re reading today?” he asked, not bothering to pick up the book I had pushed his way.

“Um,” I hesitated. The past couple days, it had been library books we were reading and passing, but this time I was holding one of my own books from home, and a muggle story at that. I wasn’t sure how well Malfoy would take to knowing that fact. “ _ The Nutcracker _ .

“It’s a quick little read, set at Christmas,” I continued after glancing at Malfoy and seeing he was still leaning forward over his arms, “I read it every year on Christmas Eve. I would have read it yesterday if I had known my mum sent it early.

“It was actually in that gift from a few days ago, the one you threatened to destroy. She had sent it early thinking I’d like to have it as normal, but I um…,” my voice trailed off as I realized I had been rambling about something Malfoy probably had no interest in, something he, truthfully, didn’t have any real business knowing.

I let him take it when he snatched it from my hands. I could easily seize it back before either of us left, and it really was a quick little read, I bet he’d have it finished before the Christmas feast anyways.

In reality, I didn’t know how to react. Typically I could counter Malfoy’s animosity and derisions with my own, I was getting much better at feigning indifference too, but this Malfoy I had seen the past couple days, the one in front of me now, was receptive, approachable even. He had looked at me, genuinely curious about what I was reading, and it was rendering me dumb.

I picked up a different book, having as much luck focusing on it as the first. I managed to turn a few pages when I could remember, if only to keep up appearances, but for the better part of the afternoon, I was watching the candlelight flicker over the shiny red and green striped paper that covered the little gift Malfoy had commented on when he first arrived.

Red and Green.

Curiously, I held up the little, wrapped box in front of my face, “Isn’t it interesting that we hate absolutely everything about the idea of our houses mixing, yet here we are, celebrating the one holiday that thrives under the use of our two house colors without a thought.”

Malfoy stopped, and he turned to peer over the book he was nearly finished with at my interruption, “What are you going off about, Granger? Of course not. Christmas has nothing to do with our houses.”

“But in any other situation, we’d scorn the idea or mention of even something as simple as our colors being paired,” I finally set the box down and turned towards him, “I wonder why that is.”

“I don’t expect someone like you to understand,” he was suddenly very tense, setting the book down on the table and reverting back to a mild insult, “It’s about knowing everything’s place.”

“So,” I questioned, “there’s a place for red and green to be together?”

Malfoy looked at me firmly, “And that place is Christmas.”

“But surely there would be more times than that,” I urged. I wanted him to see that it wasn’t unreasonable for polar opposites to coexist, and not just at a special time like Christmas. I crossed my arms, annoyed with his resolution, “Surely it’s been evident by the past few days together that a comradery, or at the very least, civility, between us, between our houses is possible.”

“No, Granger, Christmas, and only Christmas, and nothing to do with us or either of our houses,” he adamantly stated.

“And like the colors, this little truce of ours stays with Christmas,” He was scrutinizing me with cold sincerity, eyes boring into mine, our books and the present forgotten, but he was right, in more ways than one. Not only would we not be able to continue our reading sessions when term began again as there would be far too many people around to see, but any knowledge of our time spent together in the library needed to remain tucked away, hidden in the stacks.

I kept my eyes on his and sighed, “I know.”

I stood then and walked away, bag in hand, from the table we had shared the past three days, the table he and his two friends had first found me at on the first day of break, my copy of  _ The Nutcracker _ and the red and green striped present containing a few pieces of my mum’s peppermint candies still laying on the surface. His name on the card.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read this little story. I had a lot of fun with it, and I hope you enjoyed it. :)


End file.
